Criminal Justice Teacher Mr. Phil Davis will retire from Milton at the end of the school year.
Mr. Davis was previously a Pa. State Trooper for 25 years before becoming a teacher. For 22 of those years as a state trooper, he was a criminal investigator, he added. He has been teaching at Milton since 2018, he said.
He said his transition into teaching wasn’t too difficult, but learning the programs and technology the schools use, like Sapphire, is where he struggled.
According to Mr. Davis, the best part about his teaching career was watching kids grow from sophomores to seniors. He added that over those years, he could see his students’ confidence grow and their overall development.
Senior Kyleigh Snyder has taken Mr. Davis’s criminal justice course.
“He not only encourages me but encouraged every athlete and encourages every student to do their best,” she said, adding that his classes brought her more confidence.
One of Mr. Davis’s least favorite things about teaching is “the amount of nonproductive things that you are required to do,” he said. Teaching should be about teaching students and not about getting work turned in, what grade a student got, or making sure the form has been done correctly, he added.
Mr. Davis was the first Criminal Justice teacher at Milton. He said the job opening has been posted, but no replacement has been found that he is aware of.
Mr. Davis said his biggest accomplishment is “having my two children and watching them grow up and become successful in life.” He added that his daughter is a graphic designer who graduated from Coastal Carolina, and his son is graduating from Wilkes University with his doctorate in pharmacy.
Mr. Davis said he plans to move to South Carolina when he retires. He said he is going to miss the four seasons in Pennsylvania, but not the harsh winters.
He has some advice for Milton’s students: “If you give your best effort every single day, and try your hardest, hard work really does pay off.”
